Reflections
by Raz-Neko-Chan
Summary: There are countless Worlds, all divided by walls of light. Many still lay untouched by the bearer of the Keyblade, but his is not the only story to be told... Yay...lame summary.
1. Prologue

The world sat in the dusty stupor of dawn. Stars began to fade from the sky as it tapered from midnight black to royal purple. The sun still dozed behind the mountains, teasing the sky with weak rays of sleepy light. Birds slumbered quietly in trees. Foxes hid in their burrows and alley cats were beginning to yawn and curl into familiar corners. An almost reverent quiet settled over the night. It hung from the sky like a gossamer canopy and draped everything in muted serenity.

Soft candlelight seeped from the palace windows, adding a dull orange glow to the violet and black night. White stone kept back the commotion of what lay inside the walls of the palace. The world within the whitewashed walls contrasted against the still calm of the night. Peace only touched the darkest corners of the palace. Candlelight and gossip ran freely through most of the halls. Hushed voices carried news from room to room, spreading excitement like wildfire. Few servants slept, undisturbed by the commotion of the palace.

The loudest room of all was the Queen's chamber, where many servants bustled about, trying to help in any way they could. Some folded blankets; others lit candles or stood idly by, pretending to do something, not wanting to leave. Most stood at her bed, taking in with awe the newest member of their kingdom.

"Please, please," the Queen's fragile voice rose above the hustling and bustling of the servants, making them all turn towards her. Amusement danced alongside the candlelight in her eyes and a small smile lifted her face. "You have all worked so hard and must be tired, go get some rest. We will still be here in the morning." The small cries of the newborn child followed her words and, reluctantly, the servants left. A sigh of relief filled the air as the door closed behind the last of the servants.

"They mean only the best, Milady." The Queen turned to her eldest friend and advisor.

"Oh, I know that. But they can be so…well, _clingy." _She gave a weak laugh and held her crying child closer. "We need our rest too."

"They're just excited. A princess is big news." They met eyes for a brief moment before the Queen spoke again.

"Fetch Dessa for me, please." Her advisor stared at her incredulously.

"M-milady! Are you sure?"

The Queen looked up at her with sad eyes and a crooked smile. "Yes, I'm sure. Perhaps seeing my daughter will bring some light back into her heart. She's so empty…" She said the last words more to herself than to her friend. A sudden fire lit her eyes. "Raina, please. This may be the only way to…to bring her back." Her gaze was fixed not on Raina, but somewhere far beyond her, in a distant place that only the Queen could see.

"Of course, my Queen." Raina gave a small bow and clasped one of the Queen's hands in hers before turning to leave.

Only when she was in the hall did Raina let a shiver pass through her. The sound of her shoes hitting the floor echoed against the walls as she made her way to Dessa's room. The corridors of the palace were now dark and quiet; the servants were tucked away in bed or whispering quietly to their companions. Raina didn't like the idea of visiting the Queen's sister-in-law, let alone bringing her near the baby, but the Queen has seemed so sure, so desperate…And who was Raina to challenge the Queen? She was her advisor, not her mother.

She stopped at Dessa's door, taking in the worn wood and stained glass window, wondering how she had arrived there so soon. With an uncomfortable cough and an iron will, she knocked softly on the door. No answer came so she knocked again. Silence followed. "Dessa?" Placing her hand on the careworn wood of the door, Raina pushed her way into the room slowly.

The acrid scent of wilted roses hit her; it was old and stale and reminded her of death. She pressed her lips together and stepped further into the dismal room. Heavy darkness gathered in its corners, the only source of light was the silver moonlight that filtered through a dust covered window. Dessa sat by the glass panes, silhouetted against the night. Vase upon vase full of dead roses lined any open surface available, and dust swirled freely through the air. Raina tried her best not to cough as she approached the window, the air was thick and stuffy and she wondered how Dessa could breathe in there.

"Dessa?" Her words landed heavily on the air and seemed to hang there, opening a chasm between the two women. Dessa did not move, but sat like a statue, staring into the night. "Dessa, the Queen would like to see you." Raina had finally reached her and placed a hand on her shoulder. Dessa stiffened and turned, almost mechanically. A shiver passed through Raina as dead eyes locked on her.

"She would, would she? That's funny." Her hollow laughter fell to the floor and she turned back to the window. "She has not spoken to me in years. Why would she want to speak it me now?"

"Because she…she wants you to see the princess."

Sparks of light ignited in Dessa's eyes, filling them with fire and spreading life through her face. She stood abruptly, knocking over the chair she had been sitting in. "The _Princess?" _Her hands found Raina's and she squeezed it tightly. "Leonora has given birth to a daughter?"

"Y-Yes…" Uncertainty filled Raina's voice as she took in the flames of insanity that now painted Dessa's features. She didn't seem excited, she seemed….crazed, unstable and… darkly passionate.

"What is her name?"

"The Queen hasn't named her yet, perhaps you can help her choose one." Raina began walking towards the door, wanting desperately to get out of Dessa's suffocating domain of dead roses and polluted air.

"I would love that…" Dessa's voice seemed distant and hollow again. Raina didn't mind, she preferred the empty Dessa to the fiery Dessa.

The walk back to the Queen's chamber seemed long and cumbersome. Dessa had the tendency to wander into rooms or linger by windows, staring at some unseen shadow or shape.

"Come, Dessa. The Queen will be waiting." Raina took Dessa's hand in hers and nearly dropped it. She was cold as ice, as if no life lingered in her pale limbs. Raina stared into her empty gray eyes and wondered how any light had once been there. They seemed bottomless and hollow, a void of despair. She choked back a rush of unwanted depression and pressed on.

When she reached the Queen's door, Dessa still in tow, she stopped. The halls were eerily quiet and the lump that had been growing in her throat only seemed to grow larger and heavier. Suddenly, Dessa pushed past her and threw open the door. Raina held back a shriek of surprise and terror as the Queen's sister-in-law rushed into the room.

"It's traditional to knock when entering the Queen's bedroom." Leonora's calm voice stilled Dessa and she stopped halfway between the door and the bed, breathing more heavily than she should have been. "But under the circumstances, I forgive you." Dessa's eyes widened as she took the small bundle of life nestle against the Queen's chest. Raina entered the room cautiously, approaching Dessa from behind quietly. "Hello, Dessa. It's been too long, hasn't it?"

Tears made Dessa's eyes shine; instead of hollow blankness, they were full of tears and agony now. Emotions that had long ago been locked away were now breaking past their barrier of indifference and spilling into Dessa's tears. "And whose fault is that? Not once did you come to see me, _not once_." The Queen remained unfazed by Dessa's emotions. "You never visited me." Her voice was low and acidic, full of pain and loneliness. "I sat locked up in that room, all alone, for _years _and the first thing you say to me is "It's been a long time"?" Tears slid down her cheeks and she wiped them away furiously.

"Dessa." She stopped wiping away her tears and looked at the Queen. Warmth and compassion lit her eyes, but there was sadness there as well. "You locked yourself in that room." Knees weak, eyes burning, Dessa bit her lip so hard she tasted blood. She refused to cry anymore.

"That's not…true." Her words were no more than a whisper, just barely loud enough to hear. A heavy silence settled over the room, blanketing everything in thick solemnity. Raina wanted desperately to say something, but found no words that could help.

Without warning, the princess began to cry; her shrieks tore through the heavy fabric of silence and brought everyone back to reality. "Why don't you hold her?"

Dessa's head shot up in surprise. "What?" The Queen held out her child.

"Why don't you hold her?" She repeated.

Hesitantly, Dessa took a step towards the Queen and then another, and then another. Finally she was within arm's reach of the child. Her hands were shaking as she tentatively took the princess from Leonora and cradled her in her arms. The cries grew quieter and then stopped all together as the princess stared up at Dessa with wide, curious eyes. Dessa held her breath as the princess reached for her with tiny, delicate fingers.

Then she noticed it, the small heart shaped birthmark on the child's right wrist. Her eyes widened with terror and she reached for the small comb that lay nestled in her hair.

"What are you doing?" Raina cried, as Dessa brought the sharp metal to the newborn's wrist. She was too far away to stop what was about to happen. A heart-wrenching shriek filled the air and tiny droplets of blood hit the white carpet.

"Don't you see it? The mark on her wrist, it's a mark of evil!" Dessa's face was contorted into a hideous scowl and her voice was raised in fury.

"Stop it!" Raina's pulse was racing as she moved towards Dessa, determined to free the child from her grasp. But the Queen reached her first.

The harsh sound of a slap echoed through the room as Leonora brought her hand sharply across Dessa's face. Immediately all sound stopped and shocked pain masked Dessa's features. The silver comb slipped from her fingers and fell to the floor, landing with the dull sound of metal hitting stone.

"I showed you kindness by allowing you to hold my daughter." Anger smoldered behind the Queen's whisper though her face remained calm. "And I thought perhaps that she could have saved you from the emptiness that has consumed you. But I was wrong. _Nothing _can save you, so you will remain locked behind the door that you have so carelessly closed." Her fierce gaze held Dessa in a trance. "Take her from my sight." As Leonora took her child from Dessa's arms, the fury returned to Dessa's face.

"She's going to ruin this kingdom! Just like your husband did! She's going to leave and never come back and _destroy us! _She is not our savior, she is our executioner!" She struggled and fought against Raina as she was pulled from the room, her furious screams echoed through the halls and woke the palace. "That child does not deserve to live! She's going to kill us all." Then she broke down in to hysterical tears and was silent.

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><p><strong>PHEW! That was WAAAAAY longer than I anticipated it being o_o It was meant to be a brief prologue, but ended up being nearly 2,000 words long. I'm sorry D: I got a little too into it.<strong>

**I hope to get more of this story up soon :) I'm working on the first chapter now :P Please feel free to review and give constructive criticism.**


	2. Destiny's Calling

Sunlight filters through sakura blossoms, covering the world in a soft, pink glow. A warm breeze sweeps through the trees, stirring petals and blades of grass. The sound of waterfalls echoes through the air alongside the voice of a lone girl.

"Brylee! Brylee where are you?"

Her tiny feet skim over fallen petals and sunlight dappled ground. Warm rays of light smile down on her as she searches for her friend. The scent of the blooming flowers is enticingly sweet and wreaths around her as the gentle wind stirs her hair. She wishes she could just sit down and nap - which is more than likely what Brylee is doing now - but she has to keep looking.

"Brylee!"

Brylee was going to get an earful when she found her!

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><p>I've never been afraid of the dark. I've been afraid of other things – strange places, howling storms, being alone – but darkness has never struck me as something to fear. Perhaps that's why now, when I'm smothered in infinite blackness, I feel nothing but peace. Other people would be afraid of the nothingness, asking questions, trying to find light, panicking, but I'm merely floating, getting lost in the emptiness. The darkness feels safe, like a blanket wrapped loosely around me, protecting me from fears that might have once plagued my mind. I could stay here forever, drifting in limbo, and never have another care in the world.<p>

_But you must have every care in the world._

A voice reaches me through the blackness, chasing away my serenity. I suddenly feel very alone and very cold.

"Who's there?" The words never leave my mouth. I feel like I'm choking. "Who's there?" I try again, desperation bringing me back to the surface of consciousness.

'_Who is there'? I don't think you're asking the right questions. Try again._

"What?"

My feet hit solid ground and I find that I can stand. I take a step forward as the words '_asking the right questions'_ echo through my mind.

Light breaks through the shadow below me and explodes into a thousand delicate sakura blossoms. The soft pink petals drift around me, filling the air with their scent. I gaze at them in wonder as they float lazily around me, swirling and dancing through the air like oddly shaped stars. A wave of homesickness washes over me as the last of them disappears into the unknown.

"What is this place?"

No answer comes.

"I guess that's not the right question either." My words echoes around the emptiness, answering themselves. "Hello?" I call out to the voice, irked by its refusal to answer me. "Am I asking the right questions now?" I'm suddenly yelling, trying to fill the void with my voice.

I take another step and glance down at the ground. Stained glass glows dimly beneath my feet, humming subtly as though it were alive. The thought of the ground being alive makes an uncomfortable feeling crawl up my spine.

"Where am I?"

_Try turning around._

The voice!

I whirl around, determined to catch whoever it is that has been spewing riddles at me, but I only find a table. Blinking in confusion, I begin walking towards it, finding no other option than to examine it.

It's made purely out of glass and shines dully in the soft light coming from below me. Three objects rest on it, looking innocent and lonely. I swallow nervously and reach for the object in the middle – an empty picture frame.

_You're going on a journey._

With a yelp of surprise I retract my hand and look around. Silence. "Stop messing around! What's going on?" I shout at the voice as anger seethes through me. I'm sick of being toyed with. "Tell me what's going on!" My voice echoes around the emptiness, leaving a hollow feeling in my chest.

_You're going on a journey. But you can only take one item with you._

I glance down at the three items on the table and bite my lip. "You want me to choose the item I'm going to take?" Again, I receive no answer. "You're not very helpful, who ever you are!" How could these items help me on a journey?

_Pick the item that means the most to you._

"So now you can read my mind?" Sighing, I give in. Maybe picking an item is the only way to get out of this place. I reach out for the picture frame again and run my fingers over its smooth surface. It's a simple, silver frame with delicate sakura blossoms etched in it. The frame flashes as I pick it up and I finally notice the picture in it. Was it there before? I can almost remember the frame being empty when I first saw it.

Then I gasp as I recognize the three faces smiling up at me.

"My friends…" I barely whisper the words, unsure of whether I should have said them out loud. Swallowing rather loudly, I take in the picture with dull shock. There I am, in the middle, being smothered by a hug from Ellie. And Bastian sits a little to the left of us, wearing that little shy smile of his.

I place the picture down carefully and look at the other two objects on the table. A sizable heap of black fabric rests on the right side of the table, and I pick it up curiously. It's heavier than it should be and unfolds into a cloak. I examine it thoroughly, the fabric is heavy and course, but not uncomfortable to touch and it seems like it would keep someone warm and safe on a long journey. _This could be useful…_I consider choosing it, but my eyes wander to the picture and I fold the cloak up and put it back on the table.

The third object is a strange looking box. I pick it up and hold it in my palm, where it fits comfortably. It's black and decorated with strange, swirling designs that seem to move as I turn it over in my hands. With a shudder, I put the box down and retrieve the picture, holding it close to my chest as if to protect it.

_Friendship is the fire that will fuel your will to fight. Is this the power you chose?_

"Will to fight? Fight for what?" I glance down at the picture and take in the familiar, smiling faces of my closest friends. My pulse races as I grip the frame tightly. "I will fight to protect the things I care about, if it comes to it."

A strange sound echoes around me, and it takes me a moment to realize what it is. Laughter.

_That is exactly what I hoped you would say._

The picture dissolves into rays of light and drifts through my fingers. I stare at my empty hands, unsure of what to do now.

_Choose an item you wish to discard._

Without bothering to answer, I reach for the box again. The swirling designs had unnerved me before, but I'm now determined to find out exactly what it is. I try to pry it open, but the lid won't budge. Frustration simmers in my veins, threatening to boil over. What use is a box that won't open?

I squeeze the box tightly and nearly give up when I notice the design inlaid in the top. It's different from the swirling gold that surrounds the rest of the box. This design seems to be etched into the box itself and stays stationary. I trace it absentmindedly, sudden nostalgia overwhelming me. Why is this shape so familiar?

Without warning, the emblem glows and the box splits open. Light spills from it and condenses to form a picture. I watch the light intently, caught up in it like a leaf on the wind, strangely mesmerized by its fluid beauty. A dark room appears in the light and gradually, something comes into focus. A person.

A woman in a long, elegant gown stands by a window, humming softly. The tune weaves around me, tickling the edges of my mind like a long lost memory trying to resurface. In her arms, the woman holds a child, barely drifting on the edge of sleep. Her lullaby has no words, only musical phrases and cadences but it somehow pierces me to the core. The strange and beautiful tune spills into the air like liquid fire and my eyes start to burn, like I'm about to cry.

The baby suddenly opens her eyes and looks directly at me. A yelp of surprise escapes me and I drop the box. It falls with dreamlike slowness and hits the ground with the sound of shattering glass and wind chimes. Like the picture, the music box dissolves into tiny droplets of light that float away. The woman's haunting melody plays through my mind and begins to slip away, like water slipping through my fingers. I try to pull it back to me, but lose it in the end. A sudden sadness wells up in my chest, which confuses me.

_You are afraid of unfamiliar things. This fear will hold you back, and you must learn to over come it in order to reach your full potential._

My confusion and sadness vanish with a flourish. "Alright, I'm getting really sick of all these riddles! What is going on?"

_Right now, you're blinded by ignorance, but soon you will see everything. You are just now taking the first steps you need in order to fulfill your destiny._

"My destiny?"

_Step forward, Brylee and begin your journey._

I open my mouth to shout a response back, to demand I be given actual answers but I'm stopped short as, with the sound of crackling lightning, the table splits in two and explodes into a thousand particles of light and fire and glass. Shielding my face and eyes from the bright, hot-white light, I try not to cry out in shock. I expect to be engulfed by heat and flame, but only feel an almost imperceptible warmth from the blinding light.

When the light recedes and my eyelids no longer burn red from the brightness, I open my eyes slowly and then stare. Not in awe or surprise, in horror. A huge, fathomless black shape looms above me, glaring sinisterly in my direction with hollow, glowing eyes. This time I do cry out, but not just in shock. In fear.

I stumble backwards and, tripping over my own feet, fall to the ground harshly. A low, grumbling sound fills the air and the world around me begins to shake as the black behemoth takes a step forward.

A voice reaches my ears, not from the emptiness around me, but from my mind. _What are you doing on the ground? Get up and fight! _It takes me a moment to realize that it's not a memory or the voice from before, it's my voice. Some inner part of me is yelling at the flight instinct that's consumed me, desperately trying to push me into fight mode. I listen.

Grinding my teeth together, I slam my hand to the ground and push myself up. So what if this thing is like something out of a nightmare? I can take it. I'm the best fighter out of my group of friends. I can handle almost anything.

_That's the Brylee I need. Strong, fearless, ready to fight._

For a moment, my fear of the monster dissipates and I'm furious. "Unless you plan on helping me take this thing down, you can _stop _talking!"

The strange toneless laughter from before meets my ears again and my right hand begins to burn. _And maybe a little hot-headed. I will leave you to your battle, don't disappoint me. _Something appears in my hand, accompanied by a flourish of light. A weapon?

I don't have time to examine whatever I've been given, only time to leap out of the way of a massive, shadowy hand as it collides with the ground. Landing lightly on my feet, I spin around and face the monster. "Bring it on, Shadow man!" Unoriginal taunts. And the twins say I haven't learned anything from them. As though replying to my outburst, the shadow raises its massive fist again and brings it down to the ground with an earsplitting crash. The floor shatters beneath me and I lose my footing as the world crumbles underneath my feet.

Shining shards of light fill the air as I fall backwards, glinting beautifully in the darkness. I'm lost in their beauty for a moment, forgetting the fear and danger looming in front of me. I imagine that I can almost see faces staring back at me in the fragments, lost memories reaching through to the surface of my subconscious.

Then the darkness comes. Cold and malignant on my skin as it wreathes up my legs and arms. An alien feeling pierces my chest as I struggle against the tendrils of shadow. _Fear._ I twist and writhe and flail, but the darkness grows and spreads across me like a stain. My body goes numb and cold, my cry of fear dies on my lips as I lose grip of the weapon I'd been holding. The last thing I see is a glint of silver before my vision goes black and the world is snuffed out.

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><p><strong>And one month later I FINALLY update. Bleh, this should <em>not <em>have taken this long, but alas, inspiration is fleeting these days. Oh well, summer vacation is here and I'm ready to rock and roll! (hopefully)  
>If any of you guys understand what's going on here then I congratulate you and thank you for reading my story. Hopefully the next chapter won't take as long |D<strong>


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